


Behind the Mask

by sublimeWaves



Series: 25 EXO Challenges [4]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Costume Parties & Masquerades, Courtly Love, M/M, Masks, Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 07:20:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6972580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sublimeWaves/pseuds/sublimeWaves
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If you want people to love you for who you are, take the mask off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Behind the Mask

**Author's Note:**

> Emotion: Embarrassed  
> Word: Winter  
> Theme: Loss of Innocence

The king wanted a party to celebrate the signing of a treaty between the kingdom and the prosperous neighboring island kingdom and a party he would get.

Although it was December and nowhere near Mardi Gras, the high courts were obsessed with the new masked parties that were popular in Venice and many courts around the world.  The king himself thought this as a great idea to celebrate the treaty signing with the upper class having a more traditional formal party the next day with only those in the political sphere.

The kingdom was wealthy as it was the main hub of marketing transactions of the eastern continent and was also known for its production of raw goods.  Yifan knew this well.  He was the new minister of commerce as of a year ago and had apprentice the old minister for seven.

Yifan was a young, healthy, wealthy, handsome man and therefore was one of the most sought after bachelors.  He had come to fame with being very young and yet becoming a well-respected minster.  Those accomplishments were accompanied by pressure from his rich family, other influential members of court, and the king himself on him to find a suitor.  They pushed him often between every influential bachelorette to rising bachelor that could be found.

All of whom did not interest Yifan in the slightest.

Yet, here he was getting fitted for his costume to wear the Venetian Ball with his good friend, right hand man, and assistant while the latter read off letters from parents of singles hoping to be married off to him.  They write that their son or daughter will be attending and what they will wear (especially so this occasion since everyone will be wearing masks) so that Yifan may find them and court them.  They were called ‘suiting letters’.

“Im Yoona, her mother says she’ll be in green silk with a white columbina mask with green snowflakes.”  Jongdae, said good friend, read off the top card of the stack of letters in his hand.  He lounged in the side chair of Yifan’s dressing room.

A columbina mask was the primary choice of mask for women as it covered their eyes and nose but not much else.  They could be easily recognizable sometimes, although mix ups have been known to occur.

“Snowflakes?”  Yifan questioned.  The kingdom laid in the southern sea and seldom saw snow.  “There is no need to be tacky.”

Jongdae continues as if he didn’t hear Yifan’s complaints.  Since Yifan was not receptive to his family’s pressure, they have made it clear to Jongdae as a second choice.  He wished Yifan could pick someone so that he would stop being harassed.  “Her family deals in rubies.”

Yifan rolls his eyes, a habit he indulged in often.  “They also dabble in sapphires.  I have met her before.”

“She’s a good match.”

“She is _boring_.”  Giving up, the valet brought out the next card.  He smiled a bit before reading.

“Bae Ju Hyun will be in white silk with a god and white volto.”  There is a pause.  He found himself wondering if he read that correctly, double checking.  “Why is Irene wearing a volto?”

A volto mask covered and fit snuggly the whole face.  There were holes for the eyes but not for the mouth.  It is meant for those who want to have an air of mystery to them.  Yifan responds immediately with no emotion.  “As expected.”

“Expected?”  Jongdae questioned.  “She’s too much of a beauty to cover up that face.”

Yifan sighs, as if this was almost too bothersome to explain.  “She is the daughter of the most trusted ship making company.  She cannot be whisked away by some goon with little fortune.”

“Isn’t that the point of a masked ball?  Mystery and Romance?”

“This is not a romantic novel, Jongdae.  It is a mysterious political game played in the shadows.”  Yifan rolled his eyes.  “I will talk to her if I see her.  I do not get to talk to her much without the court thinking we are engaged.”

The next card causes some hesitation.  “This is especially interesting.”  Jongdae read the full contents of the letter before relaying the message.  “You have been notified that Kibum is going.”

“Does it say what he is wearing?”

“No.”

“His parents know him so well.”  There was a lull before Yifan chuckled.  “Except for the fact that he is enjoying being single right now.”

Jongdae had a wonderful idea at that moment.  “If you marry him you get access to his closet.”

Yifan’s love of clothes was one of the reason he was good friends with Kibum.  That man was known as a trend-setter at court and the offer, one he had considered before, was appealing.  “Tempting.”

Making no comment, Jongdae continues to the next letter.  “Kim Taeyeon will be in lavender satin with yet another columbina mask.  She’ll have lilacs in her hair.”

Yifan groaned.  “Why must she be shoved upon me at every event?”

“Because she’s the minister of war’s daughter and the most influential bachelorette in the city?”  Jongdae said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, which at this point may be the case.  Yifan’s mother had specifically been pushing her son to be with the girl.

“Is there anyone else?”

“Just letters from your family and I’ll give you the short version: Find someone at this ball whom you can court.”

Yifan wanted to give up.

**\---**

The ball is held at the right wing of the palace which was meant for entertaining.  It is dark when Yifan enters the main ball room two days later as it is nighttime and there is barely any candles lit.  These masks already obscure one’s vision and Yifan hopes he does not fall over in embarrassment.  There are many people, too many, and the sea of hidden faces is a bit daunting.

Most are dancing in the middle of the floor or on the sidelines talking in hushed whispers, probably about politics.  He is utterly unnoticeable, wearing the common bauta mask.  It is a square mask, his is white, with the bottom edge pointing down in a triangle.  It gives full anonymity along with the hat he is using to hide his hair.

The lack of attention in the room, when normally many eyes watch him, is refreshing.  He think he likes this party.

He finds himself bumping into a few recognizable big wigs and a couple who are family friends of him that he greets.  He cannot mask his voice and it is dead giveaway to his identity.

Many women and men try to get him to dance with them.  He is nicely dressed (he realizes the quality of his costume turns heads) and tall and that is all they need to know at the moment.  Yifan prides himself on standards and ignores them all.

His eyes find the king, not cleverly disguised as he stands near the back of the room next to some of the knights that are on duty.  Next to him is the king of the neighboring kingdom. 

The neighboring kingdom was an island nation full of jewels and natural resources and a party of eighteen were with their king.  The kingdom itself was small, only one city which they were rapidly outgrowing.  There were ten knights, the queen, two young princesses, a very young prince, and four ministers to the king.  The ministers were the best in their kingdom, well educated, respectable, and highly sought after as the rumors said.  The whole party seems to be here, as only the king and one minister been seen so far.

After almost an hour, he finds an old man in a pantalone mask (a mask like the columbina but with a nose fashioned into a small beak meant for jokesters)trying to pull a girl in white with a white and gold volta mask into the dancing crowd.  She does not stand for this and stomps on his feet.  He howls and Yifan steps in to take her away before the man can recover.

“Who are you?”  She ask immediately.  The voice belongs to Irene and Yifan is glad he guessed correctly.  “I did not stomp on that man’s foot to be stolen away by another!”

“It is me.” Yifan says and Irene immediately stops her small struggling and lets a breath out in relief.

“Oh thank goodness.  I thought this mask was supposed to make me less desirable and I have been harassed here more than usual.”

“As have I.”

“How did you know it was me?  Wait…” Her mask did little to mask her emotions as a mix of realization and exasperation crossed her face. “Did my father send you a letter?”

“As always.”  Yifan replied.  The girl groaned.

“He sent out five letters to suitors and refused to tell me who they are.  I told him this night was supposed to be about a mysterious romance but now…”  Yifan thought that Irene was a bit too smart to believe in mysterious romance as a good idea.  No matter what he thought, the girl seemed down.

“The five suitors is a mystery so at least you get that.  Maybe not the romance since you got me.  You should be glad I remembered what you were wearing among the fifty or so letters I received, by the way.”  His companion smiles at him so he said something right.

“Has your cold heart melted and you received a letter from someone that you want?  The courts talk about you nonstop, especially the women.”  Irene had always been in the middle of gossip (and rumors) about Yifan.  They had always laughed about the ridiculous ones together.

“No one interesting.”  He stopped.  “I got a tempting offer from Kibum after my valet told me that marriage would allow me access to his closet.”

“That would be enough to me.”  Irene says immediately.  “I love all of his clothes.”

Yifan’s eyes catch on something over Irene’s shoulder and socks he had custom made for Kibum for his birthday last year are being worn by a man in a purple coat and butterfly wings in a Medico della Peste.  It was oddly well put together and he was garnering a lot of attention.

This mask was originally worn by doctors when they treated the sick and were round, covering the face with a long nose that went down the wearer’s chest.  It was meant for the crazy that might have a bit of a kinkier edge.  Definitely Kibum.

Yifan gestures to Kibum and Irene turns around and gasps.  “Maybe not.”

The man waves at Irene, seeming to recognize her and another receiver of Irene’s letters.  He gestures to Kris but leans to the side quizzically.  Yifan points to his own socks before Kibum gets the message and waves from his position.  He gestures to someone right past Irene’s shoulder.

Yifan turns to find a tall man, thin in figure, watching him with a gaze that was intense enough to be taken a bit aback.  His volto mask was red, obscuring his true features.  Grabbing his arm, Irene makes a squeal of delight at the man.  “Go!”

“Go what?”  Yifan asks, not letting his eyes off the man.  There is something in his eyes, the intensity which makes him intrigued.  This man was not boring, this man was challenging him.

“Go up to him.”  Irene says as if it is obvious.  “He’s watching you and it’s a mystery party.  Be romantic for once in your life!”

She pesters him for a full five minutes before he gives in.  This was the chance she probably could not indulge even if she had!  As he left her side, muttering about her being bothersome, she told him to tell her about him the next time they meet.

He tells himself if it is only to indulge in Irene’s wishes as he starts up the walk of the red carpeted stairs to the man who stands in front of the glass doors to one of the many balconies.  The man is tall dressed in a flowing red and grey costume, a hood covers his hair and no skin seems to be visible as his hands have silk grey gloves.

Yifan makes sure to stop a foot away from the man but up close he can see his eyes, deep brown and smoldering.  The eye holes in his mask are too big for his feline shaped eyes, revealing what look like dark bags under his eyes.

“You know you could have approached me instead of staring.”  Yifan speaks first.  The man surprising giggles, not laughs but _giggles_ , at the statement.  The sound is not particularly pleasant but Yifan tries to ignore that.  Everyone has to have some sort of flaws.

“And get turned away like every other person here?”  The man asks, his voice sounds young and not like a middle aged man.  There’s a quality in his voice that sucks Yifan in.  Intrigue, maybe?  “I have heard you have specific tastes anyways.”

“You know who I am?”  Yifan asks.  “I do not know you.  That seems unfair.”

“You are Wu Yifan.”  The man in front of him bows.  “My family has sent me here to court you.”

Yifan laughs at the statement.  He had never heard something his ridiculous in his life.  Was this man from a lesser house?  “To court me?  I do not think you understand how this works.  I court people, not you.”

“Is that so?”  The man tilts his head to the side.  “You must forgive me, I am young.”

This startles Yifan.  The man does not sound that young and he is almost as tall as himself.  “Young?”

The man looks at him in the eye, then flutters his eyes and Yifan can almost see the smile.  “I am of age.”

Yifan can’t stop thinking that the man is interesting, bold, different from the others who are rich with either demure personalities (the ones he hates) or barely tolerable ones (the ones he calls his friends).  “Your family sent you here to court me?”

“There is a very small pool of suitors in my area.  None like you.”  The man explains.  “I was coming here anyways on other business and wanted to make myself known.”

“Do you not know of the suiting letters?”

The man laughed.  “It’s a Venetian party, what’s the point?”

Yifan definitely like this man.  “Will you tell me about yourself?”

“How about I keep it a bit of a secret for now?”  The man says as he walks towards the balcony door, Yifan on his heels. “My family did not tell me much about you.  How about you tell me about what you do?”

They talk politics, like most times Yifan talks to people.  He explains his duties in the kingdom and his part in the peace talks.  Surprisingly, the man is quite knowledgeable in this area, obviously well-educated.  The man does not give him any hint on where he is from but Yifan can figure out that he is in the trading industry of some sort given his knowledge, probably the kingdom’s southern port.

Yifan gravitates towards the man throughout the conversation as they stand next to the balcony overlooking the gardens of the castle.  He even lets himself touch the stranger’s shoulder to find thick muscles underneath.  There is now no space between the two, but the other has made no attempt to put a gap in between them.

The other is talking about the importance of the iron trade at the moment, a commonplace topic in the past couple of months, when Yifan decides that he might as well make a move.  If the man is receptive then maybe Yifan will court him.

His hands are large compared to the man’s mask but he is able to move it so that the boy’s upper face is still mostly obscure but his chin and lips are exposed.  If the rest of his face is anything like his lower half then Yifan was already impressed.  The man stills as his mask is moved but leans forward when the action is complete so that their lips meet.

The man tastes like pears, a fruit only consumed in these parts by the wealthiest of the court.  Something a lesser house should not taste like.  The taste gives his lips a sweetness to the soft plump lips.  The other pulls away before Yifan could start to move to deepen the kiss.

The man is looking up at him with something that looks like hope as he readjusts his mask to its original position.  Kris is disappointed.  He wasn’t going to leave the situation like that.  He holds out a hand to the man and the other takes it, long, gloved fingers engulfed in Yifan’s.

He walks back to the main hall with the man, leading them through the crowd and towards a small hallway in the back of the room, the second floor alcove right about the entrance doors.  The hallway is packed with those in various states of passion due to the relative privacy the enclosed dark area gives them.

The end of the hallway, near stairs that lead upwards, is guarded by a soldier who Kris knows as one of the King’s special guards, used here to prevent the common party goer from this part of the castle.  Kris only has to remove his mask for a second, still obscured by his hat and hair around the rest of his face except to the soldier, to have the soldier scoot aside and let the two pass.

The top of the stairs lead to a spacious marble hallway full of art.  He feels resistance by the man all of a sudden as the other pulls his hand away in the empty darkness with an unsurprising strength given Yifan touched those muscles earlier.

“Where are you taking me?”  The man demands.  There seems to be a hint of worry in his tone.

Yifan laughs, this man must be naive.  His mask is getting annoying at this point, scratching him when he laughs so that he takes it off.  The man’s eyes seem to widen at the sight.  He is glad that the man likes what he sees.  “Privacy.  I thought you wanted to court me?”

“I do.”  The man says, but makes no move to take a step towards the other.  The boy hesitates before speaking quickly.  “I did not realize this is what you think I meant by courting.  Do you have different rules here?”

This man _is_ naïve.  What could be stopping him?  Maybe it is his age?  “Are you a virgin?”

The man takes a step back and Yifan thinks the red mask perfectly matches what is underneath, Yifan chuckles.  This is just too fun.  He steps forward and takes the mask off of the other.

The man is young, practically a boy.  He wouldn’t be surprised if the other had just reached of age.  That did nothing to subtract from his handsomeness and there was no doubt that this may be one of the most beautiful men that Kris had ever seen.  The other’s cheeks are tinged with red in embarrassment as expected.

Yifan goes to kiss the man, charmed by the beauty of the man’s face, and his personality if he is being honest.  The other allows it to happen as Yifan maneuvers one of his hands to rest on the back of the man’s head.  His hair is soft and the taste of pears lingers.

At this point, Yifan goes to deepen the kiss again and another fact makes itself clear which has Yifan chuckling again and pulling away.  The other stomps his foot and his face is now a mix between anger and embarrassment.  “What are you laughing about?”

“You.”  Yifan says bluntly.  He hadn’t kissed such still lips in a very long time.  “Have you never kissed anyone else either?”

The other is now fully embarrassed as he tries to hide his face in his hands.  He stutters this time.  Yifan can’t help but find it endearing.  “I gave my career too much time and not any time to spend much place else.”

“If anything, I understand that.”  Yifan says, he didn’t get to be a minister by chasing skirts and pantaloons every day.  He walks up to the man to cup his face, not apologizing for the laughter but a gestures to say that it is okay to be embarrassed.

“I feel like a fool.”

“You are not a fool.”  Yifan says softly and the other smiles up at him, leaning a bit into the touch of the other.  “Or you may be!  I still have no clue who you are.”

“Huang Zitao.  Newly appointed ambassador between my kingdom and yours.” The man says and the shock is clear on Yifan’s face as he takes a step back from the dignitary in front of him.  The man was practically on the same level as him career wise.  His back straightens.  “Please call me Tao.”

“That is what you meant about other business.”  Yifan mutters softly.  He bows a bit as he issues his apology.  “And here I thought you were a lesser born from the southern port. Forgive me.”

“There is nothing to forgive.  I said I was keeping my identity a secret.”  The other has recovered from his embarrassment to give a small smile.  It was gorgeous.

“I almost took you to bed.”  Yifan says.  “That would have been a disaster.  Can you imagine the rumors?”

The man answers quickly.  “I would not have gone.”

Skeptical, Yifan smirks.  “Are you sure?  We were just headed there.”

“I’m a bit traditional, given my obvious lack of experience that you’ve kindly made fun of me for.”  Tao says, a bit mockingly.  “So we will wait until we have finished courting.”

Kris is a bit shock at the audacity of the young ambassador.  “ _Have finished_?”

“I assume you would say yes.”  Tao rolls his eyes.  This man was certainly surprising, knowledgeable, wealthy, influential, and beautiful a small voice from the back of Yifan’s mind provided.  A perfect match for him really.  “If you say no right now that is also okay.  I assume you have already agreed since you brought me up here so I will start by leaving a courting gift tomorrow no matter what happens now.”

“You cannot just assume I will accept you!”  Yifan exclaims.

Tao tilts his head, as he did earlier, a habit it seems to go along with his innocent persona.  “You almost took me to bed.”

“That does not mean I will court you.”

“Do you deny me?”

Yifan hesitates.  The answer is no, given how he has realized that he does certainly like the man in front of him.  He had his pride to think about, though, which causes him to not answer.

The man smiles as he turns to return to the stairs and subsequently the party that was thrown due to his work.  “I will see you tomorrow, Yifan.”

Leaving Yifan standing there as if the rug had been pulled out from underneath him.

**\---**

The next day yields the first courting gift delivered to Yifan’s doorstep, which Jongdae receives.  He leaves the flowers on the table of his employer’s dressing room where the man gets ready to attend the more formal political party that afternoon.  Chen is aware of Yifan’s night and proceeds to laugh at the notion of Yifan being courted.

He laughs even more when he hears the next courting gift is given during the event that afternoon in front of the political court which made Yifan blush so much the rest of the court would not shut up about it for the next four months.

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve always loved the concept of a Venetian/Masquerade Ball. It just sounds so romantic!  
> If interested, here are the list of masks I talked about so that you may look them up: Bauta, Columbina, Medico della Peste, Volto, Zanni, and Pantalone. If I have incorrectly used a mask name, please tell me and I will rectify the issue.  
> I hoped you enjoyed the fic! It was written really fast so I hope there are no issues! Thank you for Reading!


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